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DEAR HELOISE: The first thing I read daily in the Kenosha News is "Hints From Heloise." My go-to solution for ink stains is hairspray. Simply spray the ink spot, let it soak for a few minutes, then wash the item as usual. When treating a stain for the first time, I never put the item in the dryer, as heat will set the stain. Instead, I air-dry the item and repeat the process if necessary.
-- Hede H.,
in Kenosha, Wisconsin
DEAR HELOISE: We hung our somewhat-wet bathing suits on the shower bar above our fiberglass tub/surround, and they dripped, causing a light blue and yellowish color on the wall of the tub down to the drain area. We've tried magic erasers in multiple strengths so as not to damage the finish, but to no avail.
Any help would be greatly appreciated; we just moved in a few months ago, and this is our guest bathroom.
-- Kate L., in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Kate, take a gentle oxalic acid, or make a paste out of baking soda, a little hydrogen peroxide, and water; then apply this to the affected area. Let it sit for about half an hour. Rinse with warm water, and using a sponge, scrub the area with a circular motion.
-- Heloise
DEAR HELOISE: I just learned something very interesting from our HVAC guy: Fans do not cool rooms; they work by cooling the body. So, if no one's in the room, the fans are serving no purpose and are just gobbling up energy. This surprised me, so I Googled it. He's correct.
We used to leave our fans on all the time when it was hot, but now we make sure to turn them off, just like the lights, when we leave the room.
-- Annie, in Montana
Annie, here in Texas, ceiling fans are found in every home. They sort of stir the air and keep it moving. While this cools off a room and makes it less stuffy, it also stirs up dust and pet hair. Just something to think about!
-- Heloise
DEAR HELOISE: Early in July, a reader suggested using shaving cream to easily clean eyeglasses.
My tip is similar; I use a small amount of foaming soap on each lens right from the pump bottle. It rinses off easily and leaves the lens spotless with just a tissue.
I find that this is even easier than using shaving cream.
-- Rich C.,
in Richmond, Virginia
Send your household hint to Heloise@Heloise.com.
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